Philly Tree People Pruning Club 

Please Join Us: The Philly Tree People (PTP) Pruning Club

*** CANCELLED: 2/14/2010 Pruning Club Event ***

The mission of the PTP Pruning Club is to provide basic maintenance to trees located in 19125 and 19134 and to assist with data collection for our street tree inventory.

Fall 2009 marks the start of the Philly Tree People Pruning Club. The PTP Pruning Club will work to maintain the health, safety and beauty of the trees in 19125 and 19134.

Please join us if you would like to learn proper pruning techniques, while getting to know other neighbors interested in helping to beautify the neighborhood and the city. We will focus on clearance pruning, which allows safe passage to both street traffic and sidewalk traffic. We will also prune any broken, dead, or diseased branches and weed tree pits. Volunteers will consist of beginners, seasoned amateurs, and certified professionals. Everyone is welcome and no experience is necessary. Please bring a friend if you know someone who would be interested. Tools will be available for volunteers to use as well as instruction on how to prune. Please bring eye protection, gloves, and any sharp tree pruning tools you have to pruning club events. At each pruning club event a free tree care tool will be raffled off to volunteers who attend the entire session.

The 4 Fall meeting dates are listed below, please feel free to attend one or all sessions. Reminders will be sent out via email one week prior to pruning club meetings. Please note: Pruning club will be postponed in the event of heavy rain, lightening, and/or temperatures reaching above 95° or below 30°. Download the Flyer

• Pruning Club Meet-up 1: Saturday, September 26, 2009, 9am – 11am, Location: Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E Cumberland Street, 19125 (See our report) (See our photos)
• Pruning Club Meet-up 2: Sunday, October 11, 2009, 9am – 11am, Location: Richmond Street at E. Tioga Street, 19134 (A NeighborWoods Month Event sponsored by the Alliance for Community Trees) (See our report) (See our photos)
• Pruning Club Meet-up 3: Sunday, November 8, 2009, 9am – 11am, Location: Frankford Avenue at E. Palmer Street, 19125
• Pruning Club Meet-up 4: Sunday, December 6, 2009, 9am – 11am, Location: Frankford Avenue at E. York Street, 19125

Outings: The PTP Pruning Club meets a minimum of three times a year and at least one time in Spring, Summer, and Fall. We will meet additionally as needed.

Training: We’ll provide training on how to prune the trees in the neighborhood as well as instruction on other tree related work that can be done by volunteers. For the most part, training will be provided on the days of the outings but may also be arranged for other times. We may have guest speakers or experts visit the neighborhood to give presentations and training on tree care topics.

Goals and Tasks (basic maintenance plan):

• Water, prune and mulch neighborhood trees.
• Remove stakes no longer needed, stake trees in need of additional support, and re-stake trees where stakes have fallen or are broken as needed.
• Trim trees whose branches are obstructing sidewalks and streets.
• Remove damaged and diseased limbs from street trees.
• Make trees healthier and stronger by making strategic and proper pruning cuts.
• Distribute tree care and watering reminder letters to homeowners who received trees through the Philly Tree People approximately one year after receipt of their trees.
• Distribute tree request applications.
• Participate in PTP tree plantings in the neighborhood and others around Philadelphia.
• Identify and solicit suggestions and requests for blocks in need of pruning for future outings.
• Participate in other greening projects in the neighborhood as appropriate.
• Identify potentially hazardous trees, diseased trees, and trees that may need to be removed.
• Meet neighbors interested in helping to beautify and maintain our urban forest.

How to get involved:
If you are interested in participating, please contact us at: phillytreepeople AT gmail.com (replace the AT above with the @ symbol and no spaces) or via mail at: 2125 E. Norris Street, Philadelphia, PA 19125, or call one of us, so we can inform you of upcoming pruning events as well as other PTP events.

Everyone is welcome, whether beginner or experienced. Pruning tools are helpful but not necessary. Refreshments will be provided.